Travel Blog

What Is A Gap Year? A gap year is a period of time in which students put off schooling for up to a year and focus on broadening their horizons through travel. A concept which originated in the United Kingdom during the 60s, a gap year is traditionally taken after graduating high school (and before beginning college), although gap years during and after college are becoming more popular.

Is a gap year a good idea? Though many parents cringe at the thought, there are both pros and cons for taking a year off to explore the world before “real life” begins.

Pros: Overall, the main benefit of taking a gap year is to learn something that can’t be taught in the classroom.Whether you spend your time teaching English to children in India, or take a few months to learn a new language in Sicily, the knowledge and understanding you’ll gain is invaluable, so much so that it may even help you get into that prestigious university or land your dream job.

Cons: The downside of taking a gap year occurs when it’s time to go back to school and/or work. For some, taking time off can mean never going back. This of course directly relates to each person’s individual ability to handle a gap year, but it’s certainly something to think about. Another potential issue is funding the trip, as you’ll want to ensure that traveling the world won’t put you in debt for the rest of your life.

If you’re looking for more information on this interesting topic, as well as tips to truly make it a valuable and life changing experience, a site we really like is: www.GlobalCitizenYear.org.

What do you think – is a gap year a good idea?

Spring and summer are peak road tripping seasons, and Discount Hotels is here to guide you through the process of planning and executing the perfect cross-country getaway. Thorough pre-trip planning is crucial for road tripping, as fighting the urge to be spontaneous can save you big bucks and even bigger headaches. Even though the initial idea behind road tripping is to just “wing it” and figure things out as you go, having a detailed plan for where you’ll stay, where you’ll stop for food, and where you’ll get gas can pay off in the end.

Where You’ll Stay

Road tripping is about the experience and the thrill of the open road, so there’s no need to spend a ton of cash on a hotel room, especially since you’ll simply be sleeping there for a few hours before moving on to the next city. Though you may feel like booking hotels in advance puts you on a strict schedule, think about it this way: most budget hotels only advertise their sales online and through travel booking engines, so securing a room when you arrive often means you’ll miss out on any deals. Even if that deal only saves you $10, think about how many hotels you’ll be staying at. That $10 savings can add up quickly.

Where You’ll Eat

Once again, advanced planning can really pay off when it comes to where and what you’ll eat. A great way to save some serious cash on your road trip is to sign up for daily deal emails from popular deal sites like LivingSocial a few weeks before your planned departure date in any of the cities that you know you’ll be passing through. You’re bound to encounter some sweet restaurant deals, some of which will cut your bill in half.

Where You’ll Fill Up

We don’t need to remind you how expensive gas can be. Chances are, filling up the tank will be a major expense on your road trip, so saving money here is especially important. Use a site like gasprices.mapquest.com, where you can enter in your location to view the lowest gas prices in the area, and directions for how to get there. Another option is downloading the Gas Buddy app for the cheapest gas prices while you’re on the go.

You look forward to spring break all year. You’ve worked hard to save up for the perfect vacation, and you’re ready to really let loose. We get that, and we believe that you deserve the trip of a lifetime. But we want to remind you of the dangers of letting a little too loose on your spring break vacation.

Have fun, by all means, but please, be careful! On all vacations, spring break especially, it can be quite tempting to drink more than you usually do. You’re relaxed and caught up in the party atmosphere, so you’re guard is down and you’re more likely to do something you’d never give a second thought to. This behavior is condoned in popular spring break destinations like Cancun or Miami, but we urge you to take it down just a notch or two, for safety’s sake. After all, we need you to return from your getaway in one piece, so you can tell us about all the fun you had!

Don't End Up Like This Guy!

You’ve heard these tips a thousand times before, but we feel it’s our duty to remind you of these simple tactics to avoid potential disasters on your upcoming getaway:

 
1. Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know. Don’t let your drink out of your sight.
2. At least try to remember your drinking limits
3. Don’t wander off alone, or with someone you don’t know
4. Have a meeting time and place in the event that you get separated from your group while out at night
5. Especially if you’re out of the country, know who to contact for help if there’s an emergency. Click here for a list of US Embassies all over the world. Program their contact information into your phone.

 

You’ve heard all the stories of fun spring break getaways gone awry. Follow these simple tips to avoid everything but the best spring break vacation you’ve ever had.

Sincerely Yours,

The Discount Hotels Team

Spring has sprung! Well, not quite, but Sunday marks the first day of the new season, and temperatures all over the country are already beginning to look up. As the weather improves, a whole batch of top travel destinations that were simply deemed too cold for the past couple of months are now ripe for visitors. Check out our top three destinations for Spring 2011:

1. New York City

NYC is obviously an insanely popular tourist destination year-round, but it’s a million times more pleasant during the Spring. Exploring the Big Apple by foot is an activity in itself, so it’s easy to see how the temperature can make all the difference. Imagine strolling through Central Park (above), Times Square, or Chinatown in 20 degree weather. Now imagine it’s a beautifully mild 70 degrees. Ahh, that’s better.

2. Boston

This historically and culturally rich New England city is twice as fun to explore once the sun comes out. Places like the Public Garden or the outdoor kiosks of Faneuil Hall Marketplace are great options for the Spring, as well as many of Boston’s outdoor recreational activities such as golfing, sailing, kayaking, and whale watching. If the temperatures don’t drop too much in the evening, consider a luxury dinner cruise on the Boston Harbor (above).

3. Washington D.C.

There’s plenty to see and do in Washington D.C. throughout the year, but spring time is when this place really lights up. Similar to both New York and Boston, you’ll be walking around on-foot most of the time, so beautiful weather only makes your D.C. experience that much more pleasant. Just some of the things that you’ll definitely want to enjoy while the sun is out: the Lincoln Memorial, Embassy Row, and Rock Creek Park (above).